"The Dance of the Dragonflies" came to me while sitting on the deck with my family on a hot, July evening. The sun had just set, but the eternal light of summer was still swathing us in its peace. We were delighted to see a multitude of dragonflies swarming above us in the night air and I could see how some folks could have mistaken them for faeries. They seemed so exotic and so beautiful and I realized how fragile the ecosystem that such a sight seemed so unusual. Whole species of animals are disappearing and we don't even know they're gone. Will the next generation get to see this dance? I hope so, but I know that dragonflies are an endangered species and the miraculous dance I witnessed is becoming more and more rare.
I am fascinated by the pattern our lives make in the big picture of the universe in which we live. These poems are my way of recognizing the possibilities that each choice makes for us and yet also diminishes us as well on our journey through life. They are a tribute to my mother who was always a deep lover of poetry. She inspired me to write and enjoy poetry in all its many forms, for she could recite a poem for every occasion. She was my first fan and my first critic.
A former elementary school teacher, I have also taught writing at Emerson College and ESL writing at Urban College in Boston. My poetry is published in literary magazines, including 34th Parallel Magazine Ariel Chart Magazine, The Drabble, Rune Bear, Backchannels, Inkling Magazine of the Storyteller's Cottage, Finding the Birds, and Yellow Arrow Journal. Currently I am living with her family in Frederick and I am working on a YA novel. I volunteer as an ESL Coordinator with the Literacy Council of Frederick County and I am very passionate about adult literacy.
